Rotary brush

ABSTRACT

A high velocity liquid powered rotary brush and attachment used in conjunction with high pressure jet &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;wands&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; for the cleaning of autos, machinery, and the like. The brush can enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever. The liquid under high pressure enters through the open end of the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;jet wand&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;, is forced through a jet nozzle which causes a fan-like spray of water directed at the brush, the impact of the spray causing the brush to rotate. When the washing cycle is completed, the brush can be raised out of the flow of spray by depressing the end of a handle and can be returned by allowing the handle to return to the normal position, thus replacing the brush in the field of spray and starting the rotation again for further washing.

United States Patent 1191 Ballou 1451 July 31,1973

[ ROTARY BRUSH Milton L. Ballou, Gloversville, NY.

{73] Assignee: Knight Oil Corporation, Johnstown,

NY. I

22 Filed: Dec. 30, 1971.

211 Appl. No.: 213,921

[75] Inventor:

[52] us. Cl. 15/24 [51] Int. Cl A46b 13/06 [58] Field of Search 15/24, 49 C, 50 C,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,644 8/1931 Po e... 15/24 2,723,407 11/1955 Bardon 15/24 Primary-ExaminerEdward L. Roberts Attorney-John P. Murphy [5 7 ABSTRACT A high velocity liquid powered rotary brush and attachment used in conjunction with high pressure jet wands for the cleaning of autos, machinery, and the like. The brush can enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever. The liquid under high pressure enters through the open end of the jet wand, is forced through a jet nozzle which causes a fan-like spray of water directed at the brush, the impact of the spray causing the brush to rotate. When the washing cycle is completed, the brush can be raised out of the flow of spray by depressing the end of a handle and can be returned by allowing the handle to return to the normal position, thus replacing the brush in the field of spray and starting the rotation again for further washmg.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB 1 I975 3.748.678

sum 1 0r 2 INVENTOR MILTON L. BALLOU ATTORNEY ROTARY BRUSH c. Major u.s. Pat. No. l,839,768

SUMMARY There is a great necessity for light efficient brushes This invention relates to the field of semiautomatic 5 of the type described in this invention, especially in the high pressure washing devices used in the home and industry. More specifically, it relates to liquid powered rotary brushes used in conjunction with water, or some other liquid under high pressure, for the purpose of cleaning such objects as autos, machinery, and the like.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The use of water or some other liquid to power a rotary driven brush and to also act as the cleaning agent in conjunction with which the brush loosens and removes soil, dirt, grease, etc., is quite common. Most of these brushes have some type of impeller unit comprised of blades, fins, or cups, which, in some fashion, is attached to the rotary brush. The water flow is then directed upon this impeller causing the impeller and, consequently, the rotary brush to rotate. The water then passes through, or around, the brush by means of additional jets, conduits, or piping to the surface of the object where it assists the brush in loosening and removing the soil.

Previously brushes of this type have been quite complicated, requiring a relatively large rate-of-flow of liquid in order for them to operate properly. Also, they made no provision for desiring full available water, as in the case of a rinsing operation, without completely disconnecting the rotary brush from the water supply. With these previous brushes, water could be supplied to the object without having the brush in direct contact with the object but not without having the rate-of-flow seriously reduced by the restrictive nature of the impeller unit. Also, with many of these previous brush units, the water flow could not be closely directed due to the ever-present contact of the water-flow with a moving part, and such a directed water-flow is often desirable, such as during a rinsing operation.

In many of these previous brushes, the impeller unit, whether fin, disc, cup, etc., was necessarily smaller typical coin-operated car wash. The typical washing operation presently consists of wetting the surface of the auto, or other object, being washed with some type of soap solution ejected, under high pressure, from a spray nozzle and feeder pipe which I shall call a jet wand. The object must then be sponged or brushed to loosen dirt and soil. Rinse water is then applied with the jet wand to remove the dirt and soil. A rotary brush or sponge, used in conjunction with the soap solution in the first step of the operation, would greatly facilitate the process from the standpoint of time and conve- I nience. It is the nature of the present invention to prothan the diameter of the brush unit in order for the ob ject being washed to be protected from the impeller by the extended bristles of the brush unit. Because of this type of inverse reduction, which resulted from having a certain diameter impeller turn a necessarily larger diameter brush unit, these brushes rotated very quickly when free or in light contact with the object being washed. However, they did not have much rotational power when firm contact was made with the object, as in the case of stubborn or tightly adhering dirt or soil. Furthermore, in many previous units, not only did the brush unit stop rotating when held in firm contact with the object, but the amount of water applied to the surface of the object was greatly reduced due tothe restrictive nature of the impeller unit when the rotation of the brush is slowed down, or stopped, by external force.

Rotary brushes of the previous type are shown in the following representative references:

A. C. Bardon U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,407

0. M. Deemer U.S. Pat. No. 648,856

H. E. Flack et al. U.S. Pat. No. 1,097,410

R. Tolookjian U.S. Pat. No. 1,414,605

C. A. Palmquist U.S. Pat. No. 522,695

W. R. Nightingale U.S. Pat. No. 518,352

V. A. Miller U.S. Pat. No. 1,471,748

vide such a rotary driven brush. It is light, simple, and powerful; it does not impede the water-flow if forcibly stopped, and it is quickly removed from the water path for the rinsing operation. It can easily be removed in its entirety from the jet wand to which it is attached as in the case of rinsing salt or dirt from under the fender wells of an automobile,or from some other place which is difficult to reach, where there is room for the wand but not the brush unit. It will not scratch the object being washed regardless of which surface of the brush unit may come in contact with the object.

It is the object of this invention to provide a liquid powered rotary brush which is efficient in that the circumferential surface of the brush or sponge is directly acted upon by the water stream, providing the greatest rotation moment, power, or torque for any given diam eter brush.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a liquid driven rotary brush that does not impede the waterflow even if the rotation is forcibly stopped.

It is the object of this invention to provide a rotary brush which can be quickly removed from the waterpath as in the case of a rinsing or flushing operation, and yet just as easily and quickly replaced in the waterpath for continued brushing and cleaning.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rotary brush which will direct the spray away from the operator, or catch any spray thrown back at him by the centrifugal force created by the rotary brush in a cowling which will not scratch the object regardless of the corner, side, or edge of the brush unit which may make contact with the object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the rotary brush engaged in a typical washing operation.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the rotary brush with the brush unit engaged with the water spray.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken from line 22 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS the handle 20. Nuts 27 secure the attachment of the shaft 26 to the support frame 21.

A cowling 18, made entirely of neoprene, soft plastic, or some other non-abrasive material, is attached to frame 21 and handle 20 by two counter sunk carriage bolts 23 with heads located in frame 21, passing through cowling 18 and handle 20 in projection, and secured by nuts 31. Thus, the brush or sponge 17 and cowling 18, and frame 21 are securely fastened to handle 20.

Handle 20 is attached to wand 18 by means of clamp 13. Clamp 13 has a hinge 14 which allows handle 20 to partially rotate in the verticle plane of wand 18 about hinge 14. Rotation of the handle 20 is limited by set screw 15 hitting wand 18. Set screw 15 is held in contact with wand 18 by means of compressed spring 12 which has one end securely fastened to handle and the other end directed perpendicularly to wand 18 by cradle 32.

In a normal brushing operation, the relative setup of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The water or liquid under high pressure enters through the open end of the jet wand (not shown) and is forced through jet nozzle 16 which, in turn, causes a flat fanlike spray of water or fluid 19 which is directed at brush 17. The set screw 15 is so adjusted that the plane of the spray 19 is nearly tangent to the cylindrical brush, yet it still makes firm contact with the brush. The fine adjustment here is largely dependent upon the nature of the surface of the brush or sponge and would vary accordingly. However, the idea of maximum rotational power being produced by a spray 19, whose plane is nearly tangent to brush 17, should be obvious.

With the brush in such a nearly tangential relationship with spray 19, the impact of the spray on the brush sets up a moment about shaft 26 and causes the brush to rotate. The cowling 18 catches any spray thrown back at the operator by the brush, and also protects the object from being scratched by shaft 26 or frame 21. The spray 19, after making direct contact with the brush 17, continues on to loosen and carry away soil. It is partly incorporated with the bristles or surface of the brush to also aid in loosening dirt and soil. Even if the rotation of brush 17 is forcefully slowed down, or stopped, spray 19 will continue on, to wash or wet the object.

In a rinsing operation where the brush is not desired, the operator depresses the end of handle 20 by squeezing the handle and wand 18 together. This causes the brush 17 to be raised out of the flow of spray 19. Spray 19 will then hit the object with full impact such as is desired in a rinsing operation. If further washing is de sired, allowing handle 20 to return to its normal position replaces the brush in the field of spray and it will begin rotating again.

The entire brush uit may be detached for special operations from wand 18 by loosening clamp 13 by means of a wing nut.

Obviously, several types of brushes, sponges, or rollers may be used with the invention and other minor alterations made without changing its basic ideas. The foregoing description does not limit the invention but it is limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A rotary fluid driven brush comprising a spindle mounted cylindrical brush sponge or roller, mounted on a frame rigidly attached to a handle which is, in turn,

attached to a jet wand or source of expelled high velocity liquid in such a manner allowing the brush to enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever; if entered into the water spray causing the brush to rotate due to the tangential nature of the impact spray with the surface of the cylindrical brush, the entire brush and spindle being protected by a cowling composed entirely of a non-abrasive material.

2. A rotary fluid driven brush comprising a spindle mounted cylindrical brush, sponge or roller,'mounted on a frame rigidly attached toa handle which is, in turn, attached to a jet wand or source of expelled high velocity liquid in such a manner allowing the brush to enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever; if entered into the water spray causing the brush to rotate due to the tangential nature of the impact spray with the surface of the cylindrical brush, the entire brush and spindle being protected by a cowling com posed entirely of a non-abrasive material, wherein the flow of liquid is not impeded.

3. A rotary fluid driven brush comprising a spindle mounted cylindrical brush, sponge or roller, mounted on a frame rigidly attached to a handle which is, in turn, attached to ajet wand or source of expelled high velocity liquid in such a manner allowing the brush to enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever; if entered into the water spray causing the brush to rotate due to the tangential nature of the impact spray with the surface of the cylindrical brush, the entire brush and spindle being protected by a cowling composed entirely of a non-abrasive material, wherein said brush can be removed from said water path as desired. a: a: a: 

1. A rotary fluid driven brush comprising a spindle mounted cylindrical brush sponge or roller, mounted on a frame rigidly attached to a handle which is, in turn, attached to a jet wand or source of expelled high velocity liquid in such a manner allowing the brush to enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever; if entered into the water spray causing the brush to rotate due to the tangential nature of the impact spray with the surface of the cylindrical brush, the entire brush and spindle being protected by a cowling composed entirely of a non-abrasive material.
 2. A rotary fluid driven brush comprising a spindle mounted cylindrical brush, sponge or roller, mounted on a frame rigidly attached to a handle which is, in turn, attached to a jet wand or source of expelled high velocity liquid in such a manner allowing the brush to enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever; if entered into the water spray causing the brush to rotate due to the tangential nature of the impact spray with the surface of the cylindrical brush, the entire brush and spindle being protected by a cowling composed entirely of a non-abrasive material, wherein the flow of liquid is not impeded.
 3. A rotary fluid driven brush comprising a spindle mounted cylindrical brush, sponge or roller, mounted on a frame rigidly attached to a handle which is, in turn, attached to a jet wand or source of expelled high velocity liquid in such a manner allowing the brush to enter or be removed from the water spray by means of a lever; if entered into the water spray causing the brush to rotate due to the tangential nature of the impact spray with the surface of the cylindrical brush, the entire brush and spindle being protected by a cowling composed entirely of a non-abrasive material, wherein said brush can be removed from said water path as desired. 